Belgrade Nightlife And Party Guide

The ultimate nightlife and party guide picking only the best of Belgrade’s bar and party scene!

“Sweet dreams are made of this…Everybody is looking for something.”

It’s Saturday night in Belgrade and we’re drinking cocktails to 80’s beats at Mikser Garden. It’s a mix crowd of young and old. But one thing is for sure, the fashionable crowd is here. Some of the women look like models for Vogue. The men are stylish and confident. And Marija, the female DJ spinning the best of the 80’s, is drop-dead gorgeous.

It’s our second night in Mikser Garden, a summer al fresco bar that just opened this summer. It’s located right in the middle of Savamala, the cultural and creative center of the city. The “garden” is almost like an oasis in the urban jungle of Belgrade.

“The music is pretty loud here. Aren’t people complaining about the noise?”, I wondered.

Ever since I wrote about the top 13 Party Cities in Europe last year, a lot of people who read the piece have commented, messaged and tweeted telling me to check out Belgrade.

“They have epic parties in Belgrade!” “No Belgrade? Dude this list is rubbish,” they said.

This got me curious of course. And so when me and my friends, MM and Zan, planned our 3-week Balkans trip this summer we decided to fly to Belgrade as our first stop.

Our itinerary? Party all weekend.

Seriously, we didn’t do much else. I decided that from now on I will only do things that interests me when I travel. So no stupid sightseeing for me although we hanged out around the Old Town a lot and the 2 girls joined a free walking tour (I obviously skipped it).

So what do I like to do on this trip? Mostly eat, check out a dozen bookstores and meet locals and party at night. And that was what we did.

Below are my top recommendations for the best bars and clubs in Belgrade. Apparently there are two kinds of clubs in Belgrade: summer and winter clubs. This I learned as we partied around town for 3 days with Marko, who runs Belgrade at Night, a nightlife company that offers tons of free information about Belgrade clubs and Belgrade nightlife happenings.

What’s the difference between the two?

Summer clubs are “floating river clubs” that are only open in spring/summer and they are mostly located on the river. They are clubs literally floating on the Sava river which is why they are called floating river clubs. This somehow makes clubbing in Belgrade unique in the world. In the winter, almost all the clubs by the river are closed and the clubs in the centre of Belgrade are more active although some are also by the river.

Like in most cities in the world, some clubs in Belgrade are best on certain days of the weeks. Some clubs are best for certain kinds of music as well. So depending on your interests, there’s something for you in Belgrade.

Now for list of best bars and clubs in Belgrade plus a bonus section about the best party hostels in the city!

Top 4 Bars In Belgrade

1. Mikser Garden

This new summer alfresco bar is probably my favorite bar in Belgrade. It’s located in Mikser House which used to be a warehouse that was turned into a high-concept enterprise, industrial music space and gallery for art installations. This has made it the centre of creativity in Savamala. Mikser Garden is outside the Mikser House. It is surrounded by beautiful buildings which is saying a lot in Belgrade where most buildings looks decrepit and gritty. You can see old trams pass by as you dance to 80’s hits on Fridays and Saturdays. They also play other music on other nights. I love the vibe and the crowd.

If you’re looking for a bar in the Old Town, this would be the perfect place. It is not strictly a bar though. It’s a restaurant with a nice terrace under a canopy of umbrellas. We spent the afternoon here drinking local beers and eating all kinds of cevapis. We didn’t understand a word of Serbian so we let the waiter choose cevapis for us. They were so delicious. They serve all kinds of local Serbian beers and wine. And lots of delicious and affordable food.

This hip and trendy gastrobar offers small plates of Pan Latin styles and flavors designed for sharing which are obviously perfect plates for drinking. The interior is beautiful and the music is quite good. It is located in Beton Hala (or Concrete Hall), a hotspot for trendy restaurants and bars, along the Sava river. It’s also a great location for pre-game before you head across the river for the floating river clubs of Belgrade.

We stumbled upon this jazz bar while snapping pics of graffiti art on our way back to the center. I fell in love immediately! Tucked away in a quiet residential area, Jazz Basta is a magical little hideout for music fans and café-lovers alike. If you don’t know it, you might miss it as it is quite hidden. The sight of the beautiful contrast of white chairs on exposed gray cement made me curious about the place. We walked in and we were blown away. It was such a cozy courtyard that looks more Parisian than Balkan.

They host live jazz and blues performers, usually from Thursday to Sunday, when the weather is warm. Although the music sometimes varies and is not strictly jazz. Go during the day or go before 9PM at night to get a seat. It gets packed fast.

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